


Shadows of Giza

by Alice_Corvin (Zainir)



Series: When We Start Over [4]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-07
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-15 12:36:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9235508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zainir/pseuds/Alice_Corvin
Summary: Fareeha and Angela return to Egypt to try and get some help from HSI for Fareeha's arm. Unfortunately, they'll have to work hard for it. Talon is acting openly and a mysterious vigilante called The Shrike is causing issues in Cairo.(Previously titled The Butcher Bird.)





	1. Chapter 1

Fareeha took a deep breath and let it out nice and slow. Her eyes closed and she smiled as she took in the scents around her. Smoke lingered, mixing with the smell of spices and ripe fruit. There was a clinging sweetness from nearby where a man was slicing melons for sale. Mingling through it was the smell of people, of sweat and skin warmed beneath a blazing sun. And above it all was the hot, sharp, dry smell of the desert. It smelled like home.

“You look pleased,” Angela said from beside her. 

She wore dark sunglasses and a long sleeve blouse to try and protect herself against the sun. Fareeha had even loaned her a pale blue headscarf. Her face was already pink despite their best efforts. Even to Fareeha, it felt unseasonably warm but it was welcome after the cold and snow.

In fact, everything here was nicer. Not that Russia had been a bad or uninteresting place. She had seen some beautiful locations. Vast forests and plains and shimmering blue lakes. It just happened that a lot of it was quickly buried beneath a dense layer of snow. Green and blue and everything else turned to white, which turned to gray sludge.

Here, though, everything felt vibrant. Everywhere around her were bursts of color. Yellow, red, orange, blue, and green of every shade. People were dressed brightly, the market stalls were draped with bright cloth. Sand colored buildings stood around them with streamers of flags and banners from them. Towering past those were skyscrapers sided in glass and solar panels that glittered in the late morning sun. People bustled around them, calling and shouting, laughing and talking. Everything felt bright and alive and it was nice to be in the middle of it after the dread of Krasnoyarsk.

“I feel rather pleased. It’s nice to be home,” Fareeha said.

Angela wrinkled her nose. “It’d be nicer if it didn’t feel like I was on fire.”

“I promise we won’t be out here long.” Fareeha took Angela’s hand in her own. She made sure to use her right hand. She liked the way Angela’s hand felt in her own, soft and warm. Her prosthetic hand couldn’t tell the difference.

“Is the person from HSI meeting us out here?”

Fareeha looked around until she spotted the stall she was after. “No, but I needed something first. A bit of a bribe.”

“A bribe? To see your old co-workers?” “Well, maybe bribe is the wrong word. Just something to make sure things go smoothly,” Fareeha said as she lead Angela to a table covered in dates.

“So a bribe then,” Angela said teasingly. “Apparently, a date bribe.”

Fareeha squeezed her hand before turning to the woman behind the table. “Can I get a kilo and a half, Rania? The kilo in one bag, the half in another,” she said, switching to Arabic.

“Of course, Fareeha. It’s good to see you again,” Rania said as she started scooping up dates. “You only ever buy this many dates when you’re off to see Hadi about something.”

Fareeha laughed. “Ah, well, it's the easiest way to get him to listen. Usually because he’s too busy stuffing them in his face to talk.”

“That’s the truth of it,” Rania said with a chuckle of her own. Her eyes flicked from Fareeha’s prosthetic hand, sticking out from her jacket sleeve, to Angela and back again. “So, any news you want to share?”

“You can pick one. I don’t have time for both, so choose wisely, Rania,” Fareeha said from behind a smirk.

Rania let out a heavy sigh. “You do love to torment this old woman. Alright, the hand seems like a longer story. So what’s with the little blonde woman who looks like she’s about to pass out from the heat?”

Fareeha glanced at Angela who, besides looking completely baffled by the conversation she didn’t understand, was in fact suffering in the warmth. Her cheeks were pink and sweat stood out across her forehead. Fareeha frowned a bit in concern.

“I may owe you two stories then. I don’t need her actually passing out,” Fareeha said as she handed over money for her fruit. “But this is Angela Ziegler, of Overwatch fame. I knew her when I was younger.”

“Is that why you’re holding her hand then?” Rania asked with a grin.

“Well, no, that’s because she’s my girlfriend,” Fareeha said, feeling a small thrill in her chest as she said the words out loud. She grabbed her bags of fruit and winked, walking away and pulling Angela along with her.

Angela furrowed her brow in confusion but waited until they got to a quieter spot to ask. “What was that all about? You said my name.”

“Oh, she wanted to know who you were and why we were holding hands,” Fareeha said. She handed the lighter bag of dates over to Angela. “Here, these are ours for later.”

“That’s sort of odd.”

“Trust me, you won’t want to eat a full kilo of dates.”

“What? No, I mean that she asked.”

“I’d be more surprised if she didn’t,” Fareeha said. She glanced at Angela and saw the confusion on her face. “Right. I’ve been buying food from Rania since I was a kid. She knew Mother as well.”

“Oh,” Angela said, quietly enough that Fareeha looked over at her again. They walked quietly for a few moments before Angela spoke again. “Why didn’t we ever come to the markets when I was working here?”

“Well, I came to the markets at least three days a week. You were either at work or asleep.”

“Oh.”

Fareeha frowned. She gave Angela’s hand a squeeze as they left the markets and waved down a cab. “I just wasn’t sure you’d enjoy it either. It’s hot unless you go very early. I was out at dawn most days and back to cook breakfast before you woke up. Not to mention, well, no offense but your Arabic isn’t very good. Except that one word Mother taught you, which you should never use.”

Angela couldn’t help but chuckle at that as they climbed into their cab. “I know. It’s just that this is such a part of your life and who you are and I feel like I didn’t get to know it.”

“I never thought of it like that,” Fareeha said. She chewed her lip a moment in thought. “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to cut you out of that part.”

Angela looked out the window quietly. The city was passing them by, buildings rising up like towering walls on either side of them. They flew low enough that they could still make out the people walking along the streets, flags and windsocks on the houses fluttering as they passed. The cab drivers in this part of town always did fly a little recklessly, but at least they got where they were going quickly.

“I know you didn’t. Maybe it’s not fair of me to ask to be included in things like that, but I just want to know everything I can about you. We’re still making up for lost time, it feels like,” Angela said as she turned to look at Fareeha again.

“Next time I go, why don’t you come along? I can’t promise it’ll be very exciting,” Fareeha said. “Or even in a language you speak.”

“I think I’d just like to see that part of your life, at least once.”

The cab came to a halt outside the gates of the Giza compound. Though the walls weren’t terribly high, everyone knew attempting to fly over them would result in being shot down. Since she had left the company, Fareeha found herself without clearance or easy access to what had been her old life. The pair climbed out of the car and walked up to the gate house.

“I’m here to see Hadi,” Fareeha said to the guard. He just blinked at her slowly, looking from her face to her metallic hand and then back again. She sighed and hid her hand behind her back. “Hadi Bakhoum?”

“Oh. Oh, right! Sorry, Captain Amari,” he said quickly, sitting up straighter. “I just didn’t expect to see you back. Is he expecting you?”

“He should be.”

The guard stood and nodded. “Let me give him a call then,” he said before disappearing from view. She could hear his voice and another, muffled through the wall. He smiled when he sat back down in front of her. “He’s sending a car down, if you’ll wait just inside.”

The car turned out to be more of a cart, open top and small. Fareeha and Angela sat on the back seat, facing away from the driver. Even the breeze was warm as they rumbled up the road from the gate. Angela fanned herself, hoping that would help, but Fareeha was just glad they didn’t have to walk. It wasn’t exactly a small compound.

It was significantly nicer inside, however. The cool air hit them like a force and Angela seemed to recoil at the sudden change. She put her hand to her stomach and grimaced a bit. Fareeha sighed and slipped an arm around her. This was why she didn’t really want to take Angela walking around in the Egyptian sun. One day, she was just going to end up fainting because of it.

The receptionist met them and led them back to the office. Hadi was a man Fareeha had known since she had joined HSI. While she had moved up in ranks on the defense side of the company, Hadi had moved up through the engineering side. He had worked on improvements to the Raptora systems her team had used, often pouring over data they brought back and tweaking things himself.

“I brought you a gift,” Fareeha said, setting the bag of dates on his desk and smiling broadly. Hadi raised his brows and Angela shook her head.

“One day we’ll work on your subtlety,” Angela said in English.

“So, what is it you want?” Hadi asked her, though not entirely without humor.

Fareeha felt herself blushing as she sat down. She took a breath, collecting her thoughts, before she told him everything that had happened. Her new suit, the fight in Russia, the accident. When she mentioned her arm, his eyes went immediately to the moving metal of her exposed fingertips. He opened the bag of dates and bit into one as she wrapped up her story.

“So, I just could really use your help,” she finished, folding her hands in her lap. “Both with tweaking my arm and my armor to make everything work like it should.”

Hadi sat quietly for a moment before he sighed. “I can’t, Fareeha.”

Fareeha slumped in her seat. Angela, though she didn’t know quite what had been said, reached over to lay a comforting hand on Fareeha’s elbow. Hadi frowned sympathetically, a crease forming across his forehead as he furrowed his brows.

“It isn’t that I don’t want to,” he went on, leaning forward. “But you aren’t part of HSI anymore. If I used company resources to help you, what do you think would happen?”

Fareeha ran her hand over her face and shook her head. “No, you’re right. That wasn’t fair of me to ask. I guess I just hoped there’d be some way. I need your help.”

Hadi frowned and leaned forward on his desk. He pressed his fist against his mouth and glanced away, a habit of his when he was thinking. Angela looked at Fareeha curiously, her brows raised, but Fareeha simply shook her head minutely. Finally, Hadi stood, gestured for them to wait, and slipped out of the room.

“What was that about?” Angela asked when the door shut.

“He said he couldn’t help, but then he must have gotten an idea,” Fareeha said, glancing back at the door.

“Do you think he’ll help?”

“I think he’ll try.”

Angela’s hand found Fareeha’s and gave a squeeze. Their fingers laced together, Fareeha’s thumb running slowly against Angela’s fingers. They sat quietly, waiting until they heard Hadi’s footsteps in the hall. He shoved back into the room holding a display tablet, the sort of cheap one that only displayed. He sat on the edge of the desk and held it out to Fareeha.

“What’s this?” she asked as she took it.

The picture displayed was a person, but that was all that was apparent. Even that was in question, since it could have been an omnic and whether they were counted as a person tended to vary wildly. The figure seemed small, short and slight though it was tough to tell. They wore black and dark blue with traces of aquamarine along a long, hooded combat jacket. Their face was hidden behind a black mask with a bright blue symbol on the front, a sort of upside down triangle with the corners lopped off.

“A mercenary that’s been giving us a bit of trouble,” Hadi said, thin lips pulling into a frown. “We’ve heard reports before, but nothing that concerned us. Mostly seemed to operate across the river, occasionally over here but never too close to the compound.”

“Why didn’t I ever hear about this?” Fareeha said as she flipped through more of the pictures on the tablet. Few of them were anywhere close to clear.Most were blurry and shadowy shapes on roofs.

“It was your job to protect the compound and Anubis, not hunting down every criminal in the area. If the Shrike had become a problem, you’d have found out.”

“The Shrike?”

Hadi shrugged. “That’s what they called them over in Cairo. Something to do with them using a sniper rifle, I think. There wasn’t an explanation in any reports I saw.”

Fareeha handed the tablet over to Angela, who flicked through it. Fareeha translated what had been said quickly. Angela nodded, chewing on her bottom lip.

“He wants you to find this person then?” she asked.

“That’s what I’m guessing,” Fareeha said in English before switching to Arabic. “So why tell me now?”

“You want something and HSI wants something, though they aren’t saying it openly. We can’t have mercenaries running around doing whatever they please. Yes, they’re taking out criminals now, but what about tomorrow?” Hadi said. Fareeha couldn’t help but notice the way he glanced at Angela.

“So, you want me to become a mercenary to catch this mercenary because mercenaries are dangerous?” Fareeha asked.

Hadi shrugged and waggled his hand noncommittally. “I don’t know if you’d be considered a mercenary. More of a bounty hunter?”

“I’m not sure there’s much distinction.”

Angela handed the tablet back over to her. “Are you going to accept?”

“I don’t know if I really have much other choice,” Fareeha said in English. She sighed and looked down at the picture on the screen. “Besides, he has a point about this Shrike potentially being dangerous. Vigilante, mercenary types tend to be a bit of a problem.”

“Isn’t that what we’ve turned into?” Angela asked, raising her pale brows.

“I’m trying not to think about that too hard,” she said with a small smile. Hadi cleared his throat and she turned back to him. “Fine, I’ll look into it. If I can find anything, then I’ll bring it back to you.”

“Deal,” he said, standing up. “You can keep the tablet. You know how to get in touch with me, so let me know as soon as you find something. If you can. We’ve struggled and I know the Cairo police have too.”

The two women stood and departed, taking the ride back to the front gate. They had to wait a few minutes for a cab, leaving Angela to ineffectively fan herself against the heat. Fareeha wanted to comfort her but she was worried any physical contact and additional heat might simply cause her to crumble into dust.

“So what do we do now?” she asked when they finally were on their way back to their rented room.

Fareeha sighed softly. “There’s someone I need to talk to.”

“Who is it? Will we have to go find her?”

“No, because if I know her, she’ll already be waiting for us at the apartment,” Fareeha said.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Angela reached over to pat her thigh affectionately and Fareeha reached down, covering her hand with her own. She knew this conversation was going to have to happen in some way no matter what occurred at HSI. She’d been preparing for it, but there was never a way to know how it would happen.

 

The room they had managed to rent was small and out of the way, tucked against the edge of a canal along with a dozen other buildings only a few stories tall. They were old, from before the Omnic Crisis, but seemed well taken care of. And it was quiet, which Angela was more than a little thankful for.

There was a sort of half wall that ran along one side, blocking off the bedroom and bathroom and giving a modicum of privacy. Not that they really needed it since it was just the two of them and there was no one to visit. At least, Angela had thought no one would be visiting. There was no one waiting for them like Fareeha had said there would be, though. That was fine by her. 

She could relax a bit, cool off after the heat of the day until it was time for dinner. Then she could poke about and bother Fareeha while she cooked. She liked to steal food off the cutting boards and out of the pans even as Fareeha tried to swat at her or chase her off. Fareeha was an excellent cook and Angela often found herself nearly salivating when she was waiting for her to finish. After that, when the sun finally set, she could go out onto the small balcony they had and enjoy the evening air. Except that there was someone standing out there.

“Fareeha, Liebling,” she said, grabbing Fareeha’s metal arm. “Outside on the balcony.”

Fareeha looked over sharply but almost immediately relaxed. She let out a sigh and walked over, undoing the latch on the door and opening it up. To Angela’s shock, she stood back out of the way and let the person inside. 

It was a woman, Angela saw. Short and thin and slightly stooped. She wore a loose dark blue hijab that left visible some of her snow white hair. An eye patch covered her right eye. As she stepped past Fareeha, she eyed her appraisingly before reaching out to tap on her metallic arm.

“How long have you been waiting, Omm?” Fareeha asked, shutting the door.

“Oh, not long. I saw you two driving this way and decided to meet you,” the woman said in a soft, warm voice.

“Stalking us then?”

“Bah. You think my daughter can show up in the city and I won’t immediately know where she is? Mothers have their ways, habibti.”

“Wait,” Angela said. She felt strangely light headed all of the sudden, like the blood had all drained from her head. “Daughter?”

“You didn’t tell her?” the woman said reproachfully. Fareeha shrugged, looking both equal parts guilty and defensive. The woman stepped over. “Hello, Angela. It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?”

Angela stumbled back a step and put a hand to her mouth as she looked into the woman’s face. It was older, lined with time and strain, but she knew that face. She knew that eye even if it’s partner was missing. Standing in her home was Ana Amari, a woman almost ten years dead.


	2. Chapter 2

Angela sat at the table, tightly clutching her cup as she had tea with a ghost. Fareeha sat and stared down at her own mug. She had tried several times to start explaining before giving up. For her part, Ana looked perfectly pleased with herself. She smiled as she sipped her tea, glancing between the two as if waiting for something.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Angela finally said.

“I needed a vacation,” Ana said with a soft chuckle. Fareeha hid her face behind her hand and sighed.

“How can you laugh about this? We thought you were dead! We couldn’t even find you to bury you,” Angela said. She thumped her cup down against the table, sloshing tea out across the wood. “I was so, we were all so heartbroken when we heard. I mourned for you for so long. But here you are, alive and laughing like it was some joke.”

Ana winced at that and glanced at Fareeha, who stared back at her pointedly. Ana shrugged one shoulder and Fareeha curled her lip, scrunching her face in an expression of disbelief. Ana sighed and stood, walking around the table to wrap her arms around Angela. She started in surprise before leaning in against Ana, hand clutching at Ana’s arm. Her breath hitched in a quiet sob.

Fareeha shifted in her seat, feeling uncomfortably like she was intruding on something private. She stood up and slipped out of the room quietly, going to stand on the balcony with her tea. Ana watched her go with a small frown but said nothing. Angela still clung at her like a drowning woman.

“You were my friend, Ana. I cared about you and I thought you cared about me,” she said. Her voice was thick from her tears and her words were meek. “Why would you leave me like that?”

Ana let out a slow breath, her shoulders slumped. She moved one hand to rest lightly on Angela’s head. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words weren’t there. She’d wondered what this conversation would feel like, she’d thought it through in her mind many, many times over. She knew it would come, it was inevitable, but here she was and she didn’t know what to do. Finally, she pried Angela’s fingers from her arm and shirt as gently as she could.

“Angela,” she said as she pulled over a chair. They were nearly the same height, so it made looking her in the eye easier. “Angela, sweet girl, I am sorry.”

Angela sniffled, blinking blue eyes that shimmered with tears. “Why did you do it?”

“It is difficult to explain.”

“Try?” Angela said in a quiet voice. 

She reached out and took Ana’s hand in her own, entwining their fingers together. Ana looked down at their hands, dark brown against pale white. Angela’s hands were still as smooth and gentle as they had been years ago. Ana’s were rough, wrinkled now, though still strong and nimble. Looking at their hands together made Ana’s stomach clench in a way she couldn’t entirely explain.

“I was a broken woman,” she said finally, following the words with a brief sigh. It was a tired sound, far more tired than she intended it to be. “I was with Overwatch for so long, from the beginning. I took so many lives, Angela. I killed so many. People with families who loved them, who were doing what they were doing for reasons all their own. We labeled them bad, evil people, but were they? Or were they just people caught up in a world that forced them where they were?”

“But you did it to protect others,” Angela said. Even through her emotions, it felt forced.

“You don’t really believe that.”

Angela chewed her bottom lip before shaking her head. “No, but you did.”

“I did. I told myself every time it was to protect someone. And every time, it was a weight added to my shoulders,” Ana said, gaze and words steady. She had had this conversations dozens of times, maybe a hundred but this was only the third time she’d had it out loud with another person. “Every death was mine to carry. Then after I was shot, I couldn’t carry it any more.”

“So you quit. Why couldn’t you have done that and let us know?”

“I thought it was the best decision at the time to stay dead. I still believe it was,” Ana said as she extricated her hand from Angela’s. “If they had known I was still alive, what would have stopped them from coming after others? Fareeha or yourself?”

“We could have handled it together, Ana.”

“Could we have? Maybe. Maybe my mistake was being alone, but it didn’t always help to have numbers, did it?” Ana said, glancing out at at Fareeha. “I have thought about everything you can think to say. I have spent years wondering what I could have done or should have done differently, Angela. But I did what I had to. I did what a lone, isolated woman felt she needed to do to survive and make sure the ones she loved did as well.”

Angela’s expression made it clear she didn’t agree, but she didn’t press it. She wanted to. She wanted to let Ana know just how much it hurt, to let her know how cold it felt. She knew Ana, though, and how when she decided a topic was done, it was. 

“You quit fighting then?” she asked instead and almost immediately winced at the phrasing.

Ana raised an eyebrow but overlooked the awkwardness of the question. “For a time, I stopped. I didn’t feel like I could. I had so much blood on my hands. But just because I want to stop doesn’t mean the world will let me. I could not bring myself to sit quietly while others suffered. I needed to protect people.”

“You never struck me as the sort who could just retire quietly,” Angela said.

“No, I suppose I couldn’t,” Ana said, a smile on her lips. “Maybe I am just asking for more pain for myself, but it is who I am. I protect those I care about, people who cannot protect themselves. A lesson I taught Fareeha well, it seems, and she is already suffering for it.”

“How long has she known? That you were alive?”

“Not long after I recovered, I sent her a letter. We’ve talked since then, though rarely. I have missed her so much,” Ana said, voice trailing off in almost a whisper. She turned a firm gaze onto Angela. “Do not blame her for not telling you. I asked her not to tell anyone. I thought, maybe, she would let it slip once you and she started fooling around but you know how she can be.”

Angela did know. Once Fareeha promised something, there was little that would make her even consider breaking it. Angela blinked. “Wait, fooling around?”

Ana snorted out a short laugh. “Come now, even if I lost both eyes, I’d be able to tell.” She laughed again when Angela blushed a brilliant red. “I’m not surprised. Fareeha always had a crush on you.”

“She’s said as much. I never noticed, though,” Angela said.

“No, you wouldn’t have. She was younger than you and you had your sights elsewhere,” Ana said. “When I found out you were coming to play doctor with her, I knew something would happen. She’d relive all those old feelings, you’d get to live out certain old fantasies. I’ll admit, I didn’t expect dating to come of this.”

Angela could feel her cheeks burning hotly. She looked away from Ana, staring down at her cup of cooling tea. “It isn’t like that. I love her.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that. At least not now, though I certainly expected you to break her heart when she first told me,” Ana said, not looking at Angela either.

Before Angela could respond, the balcony door open and Fareeha stuck her head inside. “Are you two alright in here?”

“Of course, habibti,” Ana said with a smile. She motioned Fareeha over. “Let me see your arm.”

Fareeha walked over to the table and stood in front of Ana, holding out her flesh and blood arm for inspection. She smiled sweetly as Ana looked up at her in exasperation.

“Don’t be clever, it doesn’t suit you,” Ana said.

Fareeha puffed her cheeks out in such a petulant expression, that it surprised Angela into barking out a laugh. Fareeha shot her a look and Angela quickly covered her mouth with her hand to stifle herself. Ana ignored them both, waiting quietly until Fareeha held out her prosthetic limb. She took hold of Fareeha’s hand and began running her fingers along the metal.

“Well, I can’t say I’m not disappointed,” she said. “This is exactly the thing I was trying to protect you from.”

“Omm--” Fareeha began.

Ana cut her off. “I know. You were doing it to protect, to save, to be the hero. This was the choice you made and the life you picked for yourself, one of hardship and pain. I never wanted that for you. I wanted you to be happy, to have a life whole and safe.”

Fareeha shifted uncomfortable from foot to foot. Ana’s hand moved along Fareeha’s arm, inspecting the metal plates and the joint that now made up her elbow. She turned Fareeha’s hand over, lightly tapping a finger against the small interlocking gear symbol that had been etched onto her wrist to mark Torbjörn’s work.

“I never wanted you hurt. But I understand. You’re my daughter, you come by your heroics naturally,” Ana said. She grasped Fareeha’s hand between both of her own. “But I am proud of you, Fareeha. I am proud of you for caring so much, for fighting for people who cannot. Just promise me you’ll be more careful.”

Fareeha leaned down and wrapped her arms around Ana’s shoulders in a gentle hug. “Of course I will be, Omm. I’m sorry if I worried you.”

“I’m always worried about you, habibti,” Ana said with a chuckle as she returned the hug. “That’s my job as your mother. Now, I suppose I should go and let you two be for the night.”

“Actually, I was hoping you’d stay for dinner,” Fareeha said as she stood back up. “There’s something I want to ask you.”

Fareeha explained the situation with her arm as she cleaned and chopped vegetables. The missing adjustments, the necessary fixes, Torbjörn being unable to do the work he needed in the field. While the vegetables sauteed, she told Ana about their trip to HSI and the deal struck with Hadi.

“Have you ever heard of this Shrike?” she asked as she set the food on the table.

“Well, yes, they’re not exactly a mystery,” Ana said, tearing off a chunk of heavy bread and using it to scoop up fava beans and vegetables. “There’s a pretty large bounty on them.”

Fareeha frowned. “I really find it concerning that this is the first I’m hearing of what is apparently a well known vigilante.”

“Well, what did you expect with a place like HSI? They’re only ever going to tell you what they think you need to know.”

“They’re not all bad, Omm.”

Ana shrugged. “Maybe, but they’re too top heavy. Organizations like that tend to struggle.”

“So what do you know about them? The Shrike?” Angela chimed in, steering the conversation back from where she figured it was leading. It had been a rough evening for her and she didn’t need a lecture over the fall of Overwatch to top it off.

“Well, they’re good at what they do. No kills even though they’re after criminals. They knock them out and leave them for the police, apparently. Not sure how they do it,” Ana said as she leaned back in her chair. “They’ve been hitting the Talon operatives lately.”

“Talon? In Cairo and Giza?” Fareeha asked, frowning.

“Oh, yes. Apparently, that little incident you had at the Temple was initiated by them. They failed there, but they’ve been creeping around like bugs. Shrike managed to flush a good number of them out into the open.”

“Fareeha, if this person is taking out Talon, I’m not sure how I feel about stopping them,” Angela said.

Fareeha frowned and pushed away her empty plate. “I don’t like it either, but they’re still a vigilante. We know nothing about them, they could be dangerous.”

“Your dear mother is a vigilante,” Ana said.

“And so were we in Russia. And so are you now by going after Shrike,” Angela added.

“You’re a bounty hunter, it’s different,” Fareeha said to her mother. Ana simply shrugged, making it obvious she thought otherwise. “And we were...mercenaries in Russia. We weren’t going after criminals, we joined up with their army. Sort of.”

“Now you are just making excuses, child,” Ana said.

Fareeha rubbed her jaw with the heel of her palm. “I’d like to find out on my own. If there’s even a chance this person could be causing problems, then I don’t want them running loose. If they are truly so perfect, then I guess I’ll leave them be. And we’ll figure out something else for my arm.”

Ana stood and stretched, her joints creaking. “Ah, as wonderful as it was to be properly taken care of by my daughter for a change, I should be going. So much to do once the sun sets.”

Fareeha stood as well and leaned over to kiss Ana on the cheek. “Be safe, Omm. We’ll be in town for a little while it seems, so maybe we can spend a little more time together.

“I’d like that,” Ana said with a smile. She patted Fareeha’s real arm before glancing at Angela. “You take good care of her.”

Angela nodded. “I will, I promise.”

Ana waved and left through the front door, something Fareeha was quietly grateful for. She hated when Ana decided to scale her way back down buildings. Not that she was concerned for Ana’s safety so much as it made for a rather obvious spectacle should anyone notice. When she had gone, Angela and Fareeha cleaned up the dishes and settled in on the couch.

“Help me take my arm off?” Fareeha asked Angela.

“I’m always happy to pull your limbs off, Liebling,” Angela said with a smirk.

Fareeha nudged her in the side with her elbow but smiled all the same. She tugged her shirt off and Angela helped undo the harness that held it in place. The arm had felt heavier today for some reason, the straps rubbing and pressing hard into her skin. She was hoping HSI would be able to help provide a more permanent solution, but it was starting to feel like that wasn’t going to happen.

Angela ran her hand gently over the marks the straps had left behind and leaned in to place soft kisses against them. Fareeha sighed happily and leaned against her as she set her arm aside. She moved her amputated arm a little, enjoying the cool air of the apartment against the warm, clammy scars. She hadn’t really expected the heat to affect how it felt to wear the thing.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Mother,” Fareeha said quietly as the two relaxed against each other.

“It’s alright. She said she asked you not to say anything. Besides, she’s the one who vanished. She should be the one sorry for not telling anyone else.”

Fareeha sighed quietly and took Angela’s hand in her own. “She didn’t do it to spite you.”

“Maybe not, but that doesn’t much make it feel better. She was important to a lot of people and she left them behind,” Angela said. She laced her fingers with Fareeha’s.

“She had to do what was best for her.”

“Yet she talks about protecting others, then abandons them,” Angela said in a voice that was harsher than she meant. Fareeha frowned and Angela softened her tone when she saw. “It’s just hard. Without her and Reinhardt, look what happened. If she had been there, maybe things might not have gone so bad so quickly.”

“Or they’d have forced her to retire like they did Reinhardt. Or it would have happened anyway and she’d have been hurt. Or others might have been hurt,” Fareeha said, laying her cheek against Angela’s shoulder. “It’s no good to speculate. Any number of things might have happened, could have happened. But she’s here now. She was your friend back then, let her be your friend now. Like you did with me.”

Angela shifted against Fareeha and turned her face away. Fareeha didn’t see the way her mouth tightened. “Maybe. It’s hard and it’ll take time. I just had dinner with a dead woman, so it’s a bit to come to terms with.”

“I understand,” Fareeha said and gave Angela’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m going to go see if I can find some information on this Shrike tomorrow.”

“Where?”

“I still have a few places I can go for information. Stores and fronts and some of the people in the area have connections,” Fareeha said as she closed her eyes, enjoying the comforting closeness. “Do you want to come with?”

“I do. If Talon is skulking around, I’d worry too much with you out there on your own.”

Fareeha smiled and nodded, rubbing her cheek against Angela’s shoulder. “I figured. I’d rather have you near, just in case.”

“Yes, I am rather reliable and frightening backup. Who would dare mess with you while you have a brute like me around?”

Fareeha giggled and sat up, shifting her body around until she could straddle Angela’s lap. She looped her arm around Angela’s shoulders and leaned in close, the tips of their noses touching lightly.

“They just don’t know you like me,” Fareeha said. “And just what a brute you can be.”

Angela’s lips curled in an amused smirk. “A brute? Is that what you think of me?”

“Well, you can be rather rough when you want.”

“I’ll show you rough,” Angela said, her voice low.

Her arms wrapped around Fareeha’s waist, pulling her in close until their bodies were flush. Their lips met, eyes closing as they kissed soft and slow. Fareeha’s hand curled in Angela’s hair as they broke apart. Angela opened her eyes and felt a cold fist tighten around her heart. For a moment, the briefest most fleeting moment, it wasn’t Fareeha in her lap. It was Ana, younger and full of life and strength. Fareeha opened her eyes and the moment passed.

Angela smiled, though it wasn’t very convincing by the look in Fareeha’s eyes. Before Fareeha could speak, Angela leaned in and buried her face against her neck. She covered the awkward pause beneath kisses and nips to the soft brown skin. Slowly, the hand let go of her heart. There would be anger with herself later and a throbbing guilt in the pit of her stomach. But for now there was only Fareeha.


	3. Chapter 3

They started out later in the morning than Fareeha would have liked. Fareeha didn’t feel as frustrated by this as she would have once been, after she and Angela had started dating. It had been easy to find irritation in it back then, but after so long she had learned and understood.

Fareeha had trained herself a long time ago to sleep when she had the chance. She could also wake without having to rely on an alarm. She could sleep anywhere and at any time and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out for the night. On the other hand, Angela struggled. Night seemed to be when she was most awake, most active, and most insightful. She had tried keeping to Fareeha’s schedule, but that was a plan that fell apart quickly. She would toss and turn, trying to get comfortable before finally giving up altogether. Fareeha would find her in the morning, asleep on the couch with her tablet on her chest.

They’d tried various things to make it work. Teas that made Fareeha into a yawning, exhausted mess had no effect on Angela. Forcing her to wake up earlier so she’d be tired at night did nothing but make her sleep later the next morning. Angela said she had taken medication to try and help, but it never did. Fareeha had tried to wear her out with exercise a few times and, once, even tried with sex. None of it worked. In the end, Fareeha had given up and accepted it. Unfortunately, it had cut Angela out of parts of Fareeha’s life.

Angela stifled a yawn with one hand and Fareeha gave her other one a gentle squeeze. She tried to let Angela know it wouldn’t be much longer, but she wasn’t sure if the simple gesture did what she hoped. Fareeha kept her attention on Rania.

“There isn’t much else to tell,” she said to Fareeha in Arabic.

Fareeha rubbed at her chin with her metallic fingers. “You’re certain? There’s nothing else you can think to tell me?”

Rania frowned. It wasn’t an angry expression so much as disappointed, a mother’s frown. “Nothing. You make it sound like we’re harboring him, Fareeha.”

“Him?”

“Or her. I don’t know.”

“Would you harbor them?” Fareeha asked, trying not to make it sound accusatory.

Rania waved her hand in a noncommittal motion, but the meaning behind it was obvious. Rania most certainly _would_ harbor the Shrike if it ever came to it. Fareeha sighed softly. She couldn’t exactly blame her or anyone else they’d talked to this morning. Whoever the Shrike was, they were cleaning up criminals and there were very few people who would find that objectionable.

“This person could be dangerous,” Fareeha said, waving her fingers with a light click.

“So could you,” Rania said. She raised her brows and tilted her face down a little, giving Fareeha a pointed look. This was nearly as bad as talking to Ana.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh, don’t you give me that,” Rania said as she shook her head. “You’ve got that rocket suit and you can fly all over. You’ve got combat training most people could barely imagine! If you’re even half of what your mother was like, you could be a very big danger. But we trust you.”

“Because I was with HSI. I was restrained by them and their rules. Rules and laws are what give us boundaries and keep us safe.”

“But you aren’t with HSI now,” Rania pointed out, jabbing toward Fareeha with a thick, rough finger.

“And I’m not running around being a vigilante.”

“Isn’t that what you’re doing right now?”

Fareeha flushed. “No, I’m under orders from HSI. I’m a, uhm, contractor, I guess.”

“Mhm. And if you weren’t working for HSI, you wouldn’t stop a criminal if you saw one? Or help people in need? Leave that rocket suit in the closet and never touch it?” 

Rania folded her arms over her chest, looking sternly at Fareeha. Fareeha hated that look and it made her squirm in her seat. When she didn’t answer right away, Rania chuckled and put on a knowing smirk.

“You’re too much like your mother to ever just stop,” Rania said. “What are you going to do?”

“I still want to find them,” Fareeha said, feeling deflated. This had been her entire morning with almost a dozen different conversations. “I want to know if they’re someone I need to worry about.”

“And if they aren’t?”

“Then I guess I’ll leave them. I don’t know, Rania.”

Rania stood and Fareeha followed suit, gently pulling Angela up along with her. The conversation was done, there was nothing else Rania was going to say. She led the two women out to the front door of her apartment, which sat atop her small store on the market street. Fareeha turned and gave her a hug before she stepped outside.

“You still owe me some stories,” Rania said.

“Soon. We’ll be in town awhile longer.”

“Good,” Rania said with a warm smile. She patted Fareeha on the shoulder. “And I want you to know that it isn’t exactly that we _want_ these vigilantes and bounty hunters around. But most of us have seen the necessity. And if this one isn’t hurting innocent people, then why should we try to run them off?”

“We shouldn’t be relying on unknowns like this. The police--”

Rania shook her head. “The police are out of their league most of the time. We’ve all seen what some of these groups can do. Omnics or Talon or any number of other dangerous people. We need people who can do more. Your mother and Overwatch showed us this.”

“No, I think Overwatch _caused_ this,” Fareeha said with a sigh. “We’ll come back to visit soon, Rania, I promise. And not on business.”

“Take care and be careful, Fareeha,” Rania said before she shut the door.

Fareeha rubbed her prosthetic hand against her cheek and closed her eyes. Angela gave her real hand a gentle squeeze and leaned up, kissing the cool metal on the back of Fareeha’s prosthetic fingers. Fareeha felt the pressure and opened her eyes, smiling at Angela.

“Any luck?” Angela asked.

“Nothing any different,” Fareeha said. 

She led Angela downstairs and back out onto the street. The sun was high in the sky, making it a little past noon already. They’d been all over the area trying to get people to talk to them, but only a few had. Most people simply didn’t want to talk about the Shrike, either to protect them or because they were scared.

“She said the same thing the others said, really. The Shrike hasn’t been a danger, they’re needed, they’re helping,” Fareeha said, reciting the reasons in a monotone voice.

“Maybe they really are helping, Liebling.”

“Maybe,” Fareeha allowed, “but it makes me nervous.”

“Why?”

“I don’t really know. If they’re this good that they haven’t been caught, that there’s not a single lead, then there’s the potential for a lot of damage.”

Angela laced her fingers with Fareeha’s and sighed. “But if they’ve been doing this for so long now and there hasn’t been a single innocent person hurt, then maybe you’re worrying over nothing.”

“It’s more than that. I know it’s selfish, but if I can’t do this then I have no options for my arm.”

“We’ll find a way. Maybe Winston could help.”

“Could he?” Fareeha said, sounding doubtful.

“He’s done a lot of amazing things, I’m sure he could come up with some ideas.”

“Could he do it without trying to make us join his new Overwatch?”

Angela frowned a little. “Probably not. But I think we may have to deal with that either way.”

Fareeha sighed and started to walk. The markets were mostly empty, the heat of the day driving most people into cooler locations. Soon, the desert winds would pick up and the whole city would turn into a scorching, sandy oven. The best thing to do was to find a nice cafe to sit in and relax. She paused near a wall of displays, a small section known as the Bounty Board, and looked over the people displayed.

There weren’t really as many as she thought there would be. There was the Shrike, though they weren’t named. It was just a picture of their mask, all black and blue and slightly blurry, along with their seventy million Egyptian pound bounty. They were front and center, on the biggest screen. Only a handful of the rest were occupied by photos, many of which already had a big red “claimed” stamp across them. The rest were blank. Fareeha couldn’t deny that they were effective.

“I wonder how a person this old ends up on the bounty list,” Angela said, tapping a finger against a screen.

Fareeha looked over and chuckled softly. It was a picture of an older white man, with receding snowy hair and heavy wrinkles across his forehead. The rest of his face was hidden behind a mask, but Fareeha got the distinct impression he was scowling. He had a bounty as large as the Shrikes.

“Don’t underestimate older people,” Fareeha warned. “Mother could still kick my butt handily if she was inclined to.”

“Hm, that’s fair. But your mother is different,” Angela said. She stepped over to look at the Shrike’s picture on the wall. “Ana Amari is a terrifying woman.”

Fareeha snorted softly as she led Angela away from the wall. “Don’t let her hear you say that. I think ‘intense’ is a better description, though.”

“Was this the reason you never talked about her?” Angela asked as they walked toward the canal. “Because she was still alive?”

There was a silence as Fareeha hesitated and chewed on her lip. Nearby, they could hear shouting, muffled by the buildings around them. Angela furrowed her brows, glancing toward the sound. It wasn’t excited shouting. It sound angry and was getting louder, several voices mingled. Before either of them could speak, the crack of a rifle silenced the shouts.

Angela tensed and her hand went to Fareeha’s arm, holding tightly. Fareeha started to move toward the next intersection, wanting to follow the sounds but Angela held her back. Her mouth was tight and her jaw set, head tilted just a little to the side. She was listening for something. Fareeha took a breath and held it, trying to hear the same thing. There was nothing. Then there were footsteps.

Two men burst around the corner, where Fareeha had been moving toward. They wore cloth wrapped around their faces, hiding everything but their eyes. The rest of them was hidden beneath black clothing, harnesses strapped across their chest. As they sprinted past the two women, Fareeha saw a silver insignia flash in the light.

“That was--”

“Yes.”

“I need to--”

“Yes,” Angela said, giving her a small shove.

Fareeha tore off after them, her boots thudding hard against the asphalt. Angela watched her go, debating a moment until she heard the sound of sirens coming from where they had heard the gunshot. Satisfied help had come, she followed the two men at a slower pace. She’d never be able to keep up with Fareeha, who disappeared quickly around a corner.

Arms pumping at her sides, Fareeha ran full tilt through the alleyway the two men had vanished into. She knew that symbol. Everyone knew that symbol. She set her jaw, lips pulling back to bare her teeth. It was Talon. Nothing good ever happened if they were around, even just one of them. She’d dealt with their kind often enough while at HSI. 

As she followed, she realized something was wrong. They hadn’t noticed her, despite her lack of subtlety. They were also unarmed. But it was the _way_ they were running that made her most confused. They stumbled and shoved at each other, cursing between panting breaths. It was the way a person ran _away from_ something, not toward something. They were fleeing and it wasn’t from Fareeha. The pair turned another corner, deeper into the dark alleyways between the older buildings. Fareeha bowed her head and moved as fast as she could.

They had slowed by the time she emerged. She didn’t have time to stop and get out of sight. Instead, she lowered her shoulder and slammed full into one of them. She slid to a halt, grunting under the effort. She was not a small woman and the man was actually shorter than she was. He cried out in surprise before the breath was forced from his lungs and he went sprawling against the bricks.

“Who the fuck are you?” the other man said.

In response, Fareeha spun and swung at him hard. He stumbled back in surprise, avoiding the punch. She came at him again, hooking a fist into his side. He grunted and retaliated by grabbing her shirt, yanking her hard toward him. His leg came up, catching her hard in the thigh. Fareeha brought her hand down against his elbow before shoving him away. He came at her again, swinging almost wildly to try and connect. 

Fareeha skirted back away from the blows, feeling his fists cut through the air in front of her. Her foot slid back, hitting the side of the building behind her. She swore under her breath. The man swung one more time. Fareeha brought her arm up to catch his own. It was her left arm, her metal arm. The man’s wrist connected and Fareeha heard the wet crack of bone. The man screamed in pain. Fareeha silenced him, driving her fist into his stomach. He collapsed backward with wheeze.

Panting softly, Fareeha stepped forward, meaning to grab the man laying in front of her. She was interrupted by the sound of a rifle, loud and echoing in the narrow alley. There was a second discharge and a small purple object appeared, sticking out of the chest of the man in front of her. As she watched, he stopped writhing in pain and stilled but for his breathing.

Fareeha looked around, searching for the source of the gunshots. Above her, peering over the edge of the building was a masked figure. It was the Shrike, the strange cornerless triangle icon glowing soft blue as they pointed a rifle down at Fareeha.

“You,” was all Fareeha could manage.

The Shrike tilted their head, looking very much like the bird they were named after. They nodded and moved to the edge of the building, stepping off into the empty air. There was a whir of a motor and the Shrike slowed down as a cable pulled taut from their belt, hooked to the roof of the building behind them.

“You have been asking for me, Fareeha Amari,” the Shrike said, their voice masked behind a metallic buzz. “Here I am. What is it you wish from me?”

Fareeha frowned, stepping back away from the Shrike. The stranger was armed with an odd looking rifle. The two Talon agents had been hit with what looked like tranquilizer darts, now that Fareeha had a chance to look at them. While the Shrike had boxed themself in, leaving Fareeha the ability to escape through the back of the alleyway, it still made her uncomfortable.

“Who are you?” Fareeha asked, blurting out the first question she could think of.

“Did you really think I’d just answer that?”

Fareeha felt her cheeks grow hot. “I guess not. You can’t blame me for trying, though.”

“I can. Why are you trying to find me?” Shrike asked.

“HSI wants you captured. They say you’re a danger,” Fareeha said with a small shrug. “I wanted to know if they were right.”

“What do you think?” the Shrike asked, head tilted to the side again.

Even without being able to see the mercenary’s face, Fareeha felt like she was being judged and appraised. She took another step back toward the mouth of the alley. The Shrike didn’t move to follow.

“I think you’re dangerous,” Fareeha said. She pointed at the two men lying prone on the ground. “But people seem to think you aren’t a danger.”

“I asked what you think, child.”

Fareeha huffed at that. “Child? Well, now I think you’re rude.”

The Shrike laughed, their voice modular making it into an insect like buzz behind their mask. “Dangerous and rude. I can accept that. You have seen what there is in this city and even that is only the tip. I need to be dangerous.”

The Shrike stepped to the side and pushed their boot hard against one of the unconscious men. He rolled over onto his back and the Shrike crouched down, rifling through his pockets. They pulled out a small object and tossed to to Fareeha, who caught it on instinct. It was a transmitter about the size of a coin with the Talon symbol etched on one side.

“How many are there?” she asked.

“Talon? At least two cells that I know of. One on each side of the river. The police can’t handle them and your friends at HSI ignore them.”

“So you fight them, the lone soldier.”

The Shrike rolled the man back onto his side and stood up. “I’m not so lone anymore, but yes. Someone has to keep these people safe. Not all of us can run off to fight Omnics.”

“I didn’t run off,” Fareeha snapped, the insinuation stinging. “I had no idea Talon was here. I didn’t know there were so many of them.”

“Of course not. HSI only tells you what they want you to know,” Shrike said dismissively. “But you could have found out. And now that you’re here and you know, what do you do? Track down the person trying to stop them.”

“I just wanted to know--”

“Know what?” said Shrike, sharply cutting Fareeha off. “Talon is everywhere. Their hands are in everything. How can we fight them if we are constantly suspicious of each other? Tracking down each other? I can promise you, my bounty is so high not because I have done anything terrible, but because Talon controls it.”

Fareeha inhaled sharply. “They’re inside the police.”

The Shrike shifted from foot to foot, seeming uncomfortable. “I cannot prove it, but yes. I think they are. I also think they are inside HSI.”

“But you can’t prove it.”

“Not yet, but I have an idea. If we could get Talon’s files, then…”

The Shrike trailed off as they both heard footsteps behind them. Fareeha glanced behind her quickly but didn’t dare turn away from the other mercenary. Angela stumbled around the corner, smiling at Fareeha before her expression faltered at the scene.

“Fareeha?” she asked uncertainly, stepping up behind the other woman. Her gaze immediately focused on the Shrike. “What’s going on?”

“This is the Shrike,” Fareeha said, the awkwardness of the situation making her voice rise up at the end as if she were asking a question. “They helped me with the two Talon thugs.”

“Oh. Well, that’s good,” Angela said tentatively.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Shrike said.

They took a step forward and Fareeha immediately tensed. She pushed her arm back against Angela, blocking her from the dangerous stranger. Shrike stopped and sighed. The electronics in their mask turned it into something that sounded like vibrating metal foil. They held up one hand, walked to the wall, and leaned their rifle up against it. Hands empty and held up for inspection, they walked to the other side of the alley. Fareeha relaxed a little.

“There, no more uncertainty,” they said firmly. “Since I helped you, Fareeha, perhaps you would help me. Or at least listen to what I have to say. You as well, Angela.”

Angela glanced up at Fareeha, who never took her eyes off Shrike. She gave a curt nod and folded her arms over her chest. Angela scooted forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Fareeha.

“Thank you,” the Shrike said. They motioned absently with their hands for a moment before clasping them at their waist. “I want to go after Talon. Tonight. Your mother, Fareeha, is agreeing to help me. She’s going to draw out their agents in Cairo and hopefully lead off some here from Giza. But I want your help to get into their Giza hideout.”

Angela blinked several times. “Wait, a Talon hideout?”

“Yes and they’ve been trying to infiltrate the police and HSI,” Fareeha said.

“Not trying, they have,” corrected Shrike.

Fareeha frowned. “So you say.”

“Does it matter?” the Shrike snapped back at her. “You’ve seen the Talon agents for yourself. You know they’re here.”

Angela raised a hand, finger extended. Before she could speak, the Shrike scoffed and stalked over to their weapon. They slung the rifle over their shoulder, walking back to the cable they left dangling from the roof. Hooked back into their belt, the hidden motor began to whir, helping pull them back atop the building.

“If you really need to discuss this, as if fighting Talon is something a person can be unsure of, then you have until tonight,” they said, looking down at the pair. “I will meet you on the roof of your apartment once the sun has set. After that, I attack with or without you. Also, the police will be here shortly. I suggest you leave.”

The Shrike vanished from view, leaving Fareeha and Angela alone with the two unconscious men. Fareeha started to walk out of the alley, but Angela stopped long enough to check both agents. Satisfied that they were alright, Angela grabbed Fareeha’s hand and all but sprinted from the alley.


	4. Chapter 4

Ana was waiting for them inside the apartment. Fareeha drew up short in the doorway, gasping in surprise at the figure sitting at the table. When she registered who it was, she muttered darkly under her breath as she stalked inside the room.

“Watch your language, habibti,” Ana said with a smirk. She had been in the apartment long enough to brew a pot of tea and pour herself a cup.

“I’m thirty-two, Omm. I’m allowed to swear when people sneak into my house,” Fareeha said as she sat down and prepared her own cup.

Angela waved away the offer of tea as she joined the other two women at the table. She knew to wait for them to both settle in. Once Fareeha had taken the first sip of her mint infused tea, she visibly relaxed and sunk deeper into her seat.

“I imagine you’ve been stalking us too,” Fareeha said finally, looking at her mother. “You and that Shrike, who you’re apparently more familiar with than you let on.”

“I can’t give up all my secrets, now can I?” Ana said, her one eye watching Fareeha over the rim of her teacup. “They approached me after I left last night. We’d ignored each other for the most part, but they wanted me for this plan.”

“And you trust them?” Angela asked, leaning forward on the table.

Ana didn’t answer immediately. She finished her tea and began to pour a new glass before she sighed and spoke. “Trust is not something I give easily these days. Being shot by Lacroix, someone I thought an ally and friend...it rather soured me on trust.”

“Lacroix?” Angela said in surprise. “Amélie shot you?”

“A story for another time, but yes,” Ana said. She waved a hand to dismiss the topic. “To the point, do I trust Shrike? As much as I am able, I suppose. How much can you really trust mercenaries like you two and myself?”

Fareeha puffed her cheeks out at the label, but let it slide. “So you’re really going through with this then? Helping them attack Talon?”

“I am,” Ana said with a nod. “I think it’s important to try to do something about their little infestation here.”

“Why can’t we come with you instead?” Angela asked.

“I won’t be fighting. I’m just there to be a menace and pull as many of their thugs away as I can. I’ll be making noise and running about,” Ana explained. “You three, assuming you help, are the ones actually going into their hideout.”

“Alright, well, there’s one more thing I’m unsure about,” Fareeha said before looking over at Angela. “How do you feel about attacking a bunch of people?”

Angela shifted in her seat uncomfortably. She reached over and grabbed the teapot, pouring herself a cup. Fareeha didn’t press for the answer, but she kept her gaze on Angela and waited.

“Not great,” Angela admitted after taking a sip of tea. “I know they’re Talon, but they’re still people.”

“I’ve seen you handle that pistol of yours pretty well, Ziegler,” Ana said.

Angela made a face at her. “In practice. And maybe once or twice in defense. I’ve never attacked people though.”

“If you insist,” Ana said. She shrugged and swirled the tea in her cup. “If it makes you feel any better, Shrike tends to just use that fancy rifle of theirs to knock people out. Let them handle the fighting and you can make sure to help my daughter here if she falls and scrapes her knee.”

Angela glared at Ana, her eyes narrowed. Ana simply burst out into laughter, nearly sloshing her tea into her lap. Fareeha could only sigh and shake her head.

“Must you?” Fareeha asked her mother.

“Occasionally. It keeps me young,” Ana said with a wide grin. Her expression softened as she looked back at Angela. “Being honest, I would prefer you there in case something does happen to Fareeha.”

Angela chewed on her bottom lip before nodding. “I will go too, then.”

Ana drained the last of her tea before she stood. “That’s settled then. Be safe, both of you. I’d never forgive myself it something happened to you.” She started to turn away before pausing. “Or Shrike. I’d not forgive them either.”

Angela and Fareeha exchanged a quick, confused glance at that but Ana was already out onto the balcony before they could say anything. They watched her clamber over the edge of the balcony and vanish from view. Fareeha sighed.

“Does anyone ever notice her? It’s broad daylight,” she asked.

“I feel like questioning your mother is the path to madness,” Angela said. She gathered up the empty cups and the pot and carried them to the sink to wash them. “So we’re really going to do this?”

“It seems that way.”

“What do we do while we wait?” Angela asked.

Fareeha stood up and walked around behind Angela. She slipped her arms around the doctor’s waist,leaning in against her. Bowing her head, Fareeha began to kiss along Angela’s neck and shoulder.

“We rest. We eat. And we have a little fun,” Fareeha said in between kisses. “You know, to relax ourselves.”

“Is that what they taught you in the army?” Angela asked. She tilted her head to the side to give Fareeha better access. Her hands were damp from the washing when she laid them over Fareeha’s.

“They did. They never specified what kind of fun to have, though.”

Angela laughed softly, though there was little humor in it. She sounded tired and worried. Fareeha squeezed her before stooping slightly. With one fluid motion, she gathered Angela up in her arms and bridal carried her to the bed.

 

The car that hovered near the edge of the roof was small and painted black. If they hadn’t been going off to assault Talon, it would have been funny. Shrike sat hunched in the front seat, the windshield reflecting the blue glow from the symbol on their mask. Angela climbed into the back and Fareeha sat in the front, shoulder to shoulder with the strange mercenary. Fareeha had put her thigh holster on before they left and now it was digging into her leg. They had both worn the most discreet street clothes they owned.

“Hold on,” Shrike warned.

The car suddenly plunged forward, veering toward the ground. They pulled up a dozen feet above the ground and zipped along the street. The car moved a lot faster than it looked like it should have been able to, especially with three grown humans crammed inside it. Fareeha reached back for Angela, arm bent uncomfortably. Angela’s fingers twined with hers and squeezed tightly.

Fareeha had done her best to comfort and reassure Angela, but she wasn’t sure how well it had gone. Angela had been near battles, been in war zones, but this was different. It wasn’t entirely something Fareeha knew how to handle. There had been a few similar times back during her days in the army, but there had been more people to rely on and less uncertainty.

None of them spoke again until Shrike pulled their car up in an alleyway. They were near the edge of the city, much closer to the desert than the river. They piled out, stretching stiff limbs and checking gear. Shrike had their rifle, Fareeha her pistol, and Angela her own handgun and a smaller version of her Caduceus staff. The Shrike opened the small trunk of the car and pulled out a pair of ballistic vests, tossing them over.

“Its two blocks over from here,” Shrike said as the other two put their vests on.

“When is Mother going to start her diversion?” Fareeha asked as she helped adjust Angela’s vest.

“Soon, so we need to get moving. And try to stay quiet,” Shrike said.

They set off down the alley, almost silent in the darkness. Fareeha could only hear their coat rustling and even that could be mistaken for wind or palm fronds. Fareeha herself was heavier on her feet, boots thumping against the pavement. She focused on her steps, willing herself to move softer.

Where the alley met the road again, Shrike halted and held up a hand. They pointed toward a building directly across from them. It looked like almost every building on this side of town. It was made of the same material, had the same scarring from the sands, even the same strings of lights that decorated parts of the other city. One person sat outside the door in a chair, feet up and a book in their hands.

“Are you sure?” Angela asked.

The Shrike simply nodded, not making any move forward.

“How long until the distraction?” Fareeha said, crouching next to Shrike to watch the house.

Shrike held up their hand, all five fingers out. They counted down, ticking their fingers off one by one and making a fist at the end. Fareeha looked around, expecting anything to happen but nothing did. There was silence for another minute before the man on the porch put his hand to his ear. He stood quickly, knocking his chair back with a clatter, and disappeared into the building.

There was shouting from inside, then the sound of a door banging open. A motor roared to life and a car swung around from behind the house. Once it hit the asphalt of the road, it lifted up and shot off down the street. The three stayed huddled in the alleyway, waiting for anything else to happen. When nothing did, Shrike motioned for them to move.

They crept along the side, toward the back where they had heard the door. Glancing around the corner, they could see a small makeshift carport that was empty but for a few hoverbikes and one man standing guard in front of the back door. Shrike looked at Fareeha and motioned around the corner.

“Catch him,” they said as they slung their rifle over their shoulder.

Without waiting for a response, Shrike spun out around the corner and pulled a handgun from inside their coat. The guard started in surprise, but Shrike fired quickly. There was no sharp crack like would be expected, but the soft hiss of compressed air being released. Fareeha scrambled around the house, stumbling forward and just barely catching the man before he clattered down the steps. A dart stuck out of the guard’s chest.

“What was that?” Fareeha asked softly as she set the now unconscious man on the ground.

“Tranquilizer. I can fire them from either weapon, the pistol is quieter,” Shrike said, voice buzzing. 

Angela appeared beside Fareeha and did a quick check of the man in the dirt. She glanced up at Fareeha, lips tight with nerves, but she nodded her approval. Fareeha smiled thinly before looking to the mercenary, who motioned toward the door. Fareeha walked up the steps, standing on one side and prepared to open the door. She loosened her pistol in its holster. The Shrike set up on the other side of the door and nodded curtly. Fareeha opened the door.

A woman inside didn’t even have time to register that someone was entering the house before a dart caught her in the neck. Shrike moved inside, a swirl of coat through the doorway. They didn’t bother to try and catch the woman, who thumped to the ground. Fareeha drew her gun and followed inside.

The house seemed empty, but they could hear voices from upstairs. They hadn’t seemed to have heard the woman falling. Shrike pointed upwards and Fareeha nodded, the pair creeping their way up the stairs. Angela followed more hesitantly. She had her pistol out, but her body and expression were tense. The blood had drained out of her cheeks. Fareeha was wondering if they should have her wait outside, but then she’d be out of sight if anything happened. They’d simply have to move quick.

The Shrike seemed to have the same idea. They paused just to the side of the door where they heard the voices. Reaching into a pouch on their belt, they pulled out a small mirror and used it to to peer inside. Seemingly satisfied, they tucked it away and looked at Fareeha and began to make a series of hand gestures. Fareeha blinked in surprise. It had been awhile since she had used the same gestures, but she caught up quickly. Two people, one near the door, one further inside. They had their plan in a few moments.

Fareeha burst into the room first, taking the man by the door from behind. She didn’t use her gun, afraid of the noise, but it wasn’t necessary. Her arm wrapped around the man’s throat, elbow under his chin, and she squeezed hard. While the man struggled, the Shrike quickly shot the woman sitting by the window.

It took a few seconds longer than it should have, but Fareeha’s target lost consciousness and she lowered him down to the floor. She was ashamed to realize she was shaking slightly from the adrenaline running through her body. The Shrike was looking at her, head tilted to the side.

“I haven’t had to do that in a long time,” Fareeha said defensively, feeling oddly like she was being judged.

The Shrike shrugged and pointed back out of the room. They left and found Angela hovering uncertainly around the landing above the stairs. The house was silent. The Shrike reloaded their pistol as they looked around.

“Downstairs?” Fareeha asked.

“Basement,” the Shrike agreed.

The door was in the kitchen and had been left ajar. Fareeha glanced at Shrike uncertainly, but the mercenary simply pulled the door open and continued down. The stairs were dark and metal, clinking beneath the footsteps of all three invaders. Whatever surprise they had was ruined now, but still no one came and there were no shouts of alarm.

The stairs ended at another door, this one open as well. Fareeha felt her stomach tighten. If anything felt like a trap, it was a secret hideout left nearly completely open and unguarded. Perhaps Ana had really set off such a noise that the Talon thugs had run off without thinking, but that didn’t seem like their style. And these were not a simple, everyday cell as proven by the room beyond the door.

The door opened onto a massive server room. The systems beeped and hummed behind metal cages, sounding oddly like content animals at zoo. Fluorescent lights flickered over head, running in a line down between the cages. Angela let out a surprised gasp.

“Shit,” Fareeha muttered.

“Watch your language,” the Shrike said before tensing.

“You sound like my mother,” Fareeha said, but the Shrike was already moving ahead.

They had their rifle raised, but there was no one to stop them. At the end of the room was a terminal, a single chair, and a wall of displays and monitors. Fareeha and Angela moved quickly to catch up to Shrike, who was standing and watching the desk chair slowly spin around and around.

“Someone’s here,” Shrike said.

“Of _course_ someone is here,” came a voice from all around them, sounding from speakers set along the walls. “I’ll admit, it was a cute trick trying to get us out of the building, but we’re not all so dumb.”

The Shrike began to scan the room. Fareeha fell in behind, making sure no one could sneak up from behind. Angela stood between the other two, clutching her weapon and doing her best to look for the source of the voice. There was a laugh, a giggle from nearby and not from the speakers. Fareeha felt something move close to her, a small puff of air, and lashed out with a fist. Her hand brushed against something solid in the empty air.

“Oh, you’re quicker than I expected,” the voice said again, this time without the speakers. 

The air shimmered to the left of the trio and a woman appeared out of nowhere. She was tall and skinny, wrapped in a long purple coat. Wires ran down along her arms to gloves covered in circuitry. Her head was shaved on one side, scalp covered in even more circuits. She smiled at the three and lightly clapped her hands together.

“What a gathering we have here!” the woman said, sounding genuinely pleased. “The famous Angela Ziegler, the almost as famous Fareeha Amari, and the oh-so-mysterious Shrike.”

Shrike reached into their coat and pulled out her tranquilizer gun. As she did, the Talon agent lifted her hands and gestured through the air. There was a hum of electricity and when Shrike pulled the trigger, nothing happened.

“Fun fact! The little chips in your weapons that make it so only you can fire them? I can lock you out too. All of you,” the woman said with a broad grin. “Pretty clever, hm? And seems I’m faster on the draw.”

“Who are you?” Angela asked quietly, shifting behind Fareeha.

“Oh, thank you! At least one of you has manners,” the woman said. “I am the all powerful master information gatherer for Talon. I know all, I see all, I control all. You can call me Sombra, though. We all know how far a clever name goes in building an image. Isn’t that right, _Shrike._ ”

Shrike step forward threateningly, fists clenched. Sombra tsked, stepped backwards, and vanished from view in a brief flash of purple light. Shrike drew up short and frantically began to look around.

“Now, now. There’s no need for that,” Sombra said, her voice coming through the speakers again. “I thought we could have a bit of a chat.”

“You’re Talon,” Shrike said, spitting the words out distastefully. “What could we possibly talk about?”

“Well, if you don’t want to talk, I’m sure I could talk about your secrets. I mean, you have so many! Why else hide behind a mask, Captain?” Sombra taunted.

Shrike tensed visibly, even beneath all their gear. “Fine. Say what you have to say. We can talk.”

“Was that so hard? I’m glad you see it my way. I’d really rather not have to kill you,” Sombra said. There was another shimmer and she appeared, perched primly on the console. “You’re no use to me dead.”

“And what use are we alive?” Fareeha asked, regretting her phrasing immediately.

Sombra simply laughed. “Well, you two,” she said, pointing at Fareeha and Angela. “You two are so cute! Running around, pretending to be heroes. Angela running from the idea of joining Overwatch, only to fall into the same patterns.” She noticed the look of surprise on Angela’s face. “Oh, of course I know all about the new Overwatch. I can even tell you who Winston has recruited, if you like.”

“How could you know that?” Fareeha said, brow furrowed.

“Did you not hear my job title earlier? Master of all information. It’s my job to know,” Sombra said with an exasperated sigh. “But I’ll be honest, it isn’t really you two I care about. At least not yet. It’s _her_ I want.” She pointed at Shrike.

“What do you want with me?” Shrike asked.

“You see, we both have a problem by the name of Widowmaker,” Sombra said. She hopped down from the console and walked closer to Shrike. “You have your little vendetta against her and I have my own grievances. Mostly that she’s decided to elope.”

“Elope? She’s gone rogue?” Shrike said, unable to keep a bark of laughter from their voice.

Sombra joined in on the laughter and shrugged her shoulders. “I know, it’s so like her. But yes, she’s gone off the grid. Talon wants her back, of course, but it’d be best if she was just gone.”

“But you’re Talon,” Fareeha said, dumbfounded.

“Our little secret,” Sombra said, raising her finger to her lips in a _shush_ manner.

“And in return for helping you betray your own handlers?” Shrike asked.

“Handlers? Oh, that’s cute,” Sombra said with a chuckle. “Is giving you the location of your friend not enough? How about I keep all your secrets under wraps too?”

“And you’re just going to have us walk out of here and leave Talon to operate unopposed here?” Shrike said.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. Your little distraction over in Cairo has turned the operations here into shambles. The police will be there soon and I imagine here too,” Sombra said dismissively, waving her fingers. “HSI is even starting to come to their senses. But no matter, I have what I want from them. Maybe I’ll put in a suggestion that we should focus somewhere else.”

“How do we know you’ll keep your part in any of this?” Angela asked. She grabbed the back of Fareeha’s shirt tightly in one hand.

“You don’t! Just like I don’t know you will,” Sombra said brightly. “I suppose we’ll just have to agree to assume we all will do what we’re supposed to. You’ll have your file in the morning, Shrike. In the meantime, you should probably all get out of here. Unless you enjoy burning.”

With a laugh, Sombra vanished in a bright flash of purple light again. There was no sound of footsteps, breathing, or anything that indicated where she might have gone. The wall of monitors turned purple, a large white skull displayed across them. The image flickered and went dark as smoke began to pour from the console and the servers around them.

Fareeha grabbed Angela’s hand and rushed back through the basement and up the stairs. As they climbed, there was a loud _whoosh_ and a gust of hot air roared past them. Smoke billowed up around them as the entire basement went up in flames behind them. The three stumbled their way out of the building. Fareeha had just enough presence of mind to notice the woman in the hallway and the man outside had vanished. She hoped the others had gotten out as well. No one deserved to burn like that.

They rushed away from the building as the fire spread, turning the night around them into day. As they piled into the tiny car, they heard the first of the sirens. As they rose up above the skyline and pulled away, smoke as filling up the sky. Ahead of them, a distant twin to the column of smoke was rising from Cairo.

“Is Mother alright?” Fareeha asked nervously.

Shrike tapped her ear before nodding. “A few scrapes, but fine. The building went up at the same time as ours.”

Fareeha let out a relieved sigh. “That should hamper Talon a bit, at least.”

“Yes, but the question,” Shrike said slowly, “is why she did it.”

All three of them fell silent. No one had an answer. The night around them filled with the sounds of emergency vehicles rushing to put out the dual blazes. No one noticed them as they slunk back to the apartment.


	5. Chapter 5

Shrike refused to leave her car, waiting just barely until Fareeha and Angela has gotten out before pulling away. Fareeha shouted after her but she sped off, vanishing down between the buildings a few blocks away. Angela slipped her hand into Fareeha’s and tugged her back toward the stairwell. Fareeha followed, watching the way Angela dragged her feet and slumped her shoulders on the way down.

“Are you alright?” she asked as they walked into their room.

Angela nodded. “Tired. Really tired.”

Fareeha guided Angela over to the couch. “Get some rest. I’ll wait up while you sleep.” 

Angela nodded and stretched out along the couch, her eyes closed. She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Fareeha sighed softly, reaching down to stroke Angela’s hair back away from her face. She could understand. Once the adrenaline drained away, it was difficult to function.

Fareeha herself was exhausted, her body leaden and slow. There was no way she could sleep. There was no way she could _let_ herself sleep. A woman with cloaking technology had just threatened them and then burned down her own headquarters. None of it made sense to Fareeha. Talon agents were supposed to devoted, especially if they were important enough to have the tech Sombra seemed to have.

The night passed slowly. Fareeha sat at the kitchen table alone with her thoughts and a pot of tea. A second and third pot of tea followed before she finally, unhappily, switched to coffee to keep herself awake. Angela stirred on the couch at the smell of it, but kept sleeping. Fareeha was glad for that.

When the sun finally rose, Fareeha sighed in relief. Nothing had happened. The apartments around them were waking up, people shouting in the halls and cars passing on the street. It wasn’t a guarantee of safety, but it was something. She walked over to the couch and slumped down onto it. Angela woke briefly as Fareeha curled up against her, but fell back asleep quickly, arms around her lover. Fareeha buried her face against Angela’s hair, breathing in the smell of sweat and smoke, and drifted off thinking of fires.

The knock on the door surprised them both out of sleep. Fareeha tumbled off the couch, thumping hard to the floor. She looked around bleary eyed and confused before the knock came again. Stumbling up, she tried to banish away the sleep. Concern helped with that. She didn’t know anyone who would be knocking. She put her eye up to the peephole and sighed.

“Now you come through the front?” she asked as she opened the door for Ana.

“I thought climbing in through your window might be a bit much after last night,” Ana said. She walked past Fareeha and set a small package on the table. “Did you both sleep?”

Fareeha glanced at the clock. It had only been three hours since she laid down. She nodded anyway as she shut and bolted the door. She walked over to the package, reaching for it only for Ana to smack her hand away.

“Ow, what was that for?” Fareeha asked, holding her hand to her chest.

“It’s for you, but only after I leave,” Ana explained. “How are you, Angela? Did you sleep?”

“Fareeha let me sleep first,” Angela said. “I barely made it inside. It was too much.”

“I know, sweet girl. You are meant for the operating room, not the battlefield,” Ana said.

“So, what happened to you? Sombra said you made a mess of the Talon agents you lured off,” Fareeha said as she started going through the habitual motions of making tea. She watched Ana curiously.

“They got closer than I expected,” Ana said as she sank into a chair. “I had to manage differently. Shrike told me about Sombra. I’m not sure what to think of her.”

“She burned down the building,” Angela said as she stood up and moved to join Ana, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

“And she sold out one of their agents. Widowmaker?” Fareeha said. “I don’t think I’ve heard of them.”

“It sounds familiar,” Angela said before covering her mouth, a yawn escaping her lips.

Ana fell silent, shifting in her seat. She muttered a thanks when Fareeha set down a cup of tea in front of her. 

“It’s Lacroix,” Ana said finally, when the silence had dragged out. “She’s Talon’s top assassin. They call her Widowmaker.”

“If she’s gone rogue from Talon, that’s good, isn’t it?” Angela said, perking up a bit.

“Maybe. But she’s not the same woman you remember. They did things to her, changed her,” Ana said, staring down at her tea. “Killing Gérard was the least of it.”

“And Shrike wants her?” Fareeha said, leaning on the table across from Ana.

“She’s a danger no matter if she’s with Talon or not. If she’s rogue, then who knows what she’ll do,” Ana said. “But that isn’t really what I came to talk to you about. I’m leaving Egypt.”

Fareeha started in surprise. “Leaving? Is this because of Widowmaker?”

“No. Yes,” Ana said, shaking her head. “It’s Talon. They’ve gotten too bold. The attack in London, the attack on Gibraltar that made Winston hit the recall, the setup they had here. I’ve heard rumors from all over that they’re on the move.”

“What about the ones still here?” Fareeha asked. “Shouldn’t someone do something about them.”

“They’re in tatters. And now they can’t be ignored. After their little show last night, HSI is going to have to do something,” Ana said, leaning back in her chair. “If they don’t, maybe you should make them, habibti.”

“Make them?” Fareeha asked with a laugh. “I’m not with them. They wouldn’t even help with my arm, despite everything I did for them.”

“I think they might change their minds if you go down there today,” Ana said cryptically. She took a sip of her tea and closed her eyes. “But I suggest you don’t stay here long either. I think it’s time we finally do something about Talon. Until we deal with them, I don’t know that we’ll ever make a difference.”

“Are you saying we should join back up with Overwatch?” Angela asked incredulously.

Ana laughed and shook her head. “Winston’s heart is in a good place but I do not think Overwatch will ever be what it once was. How can it? We rode on such a wave of goodwill and intentions. Now what do we have? Scraps and ashes.”

“We tried to tell him it wasn’t going to work,” Fareeha said.

“Bah, let him have it. If it doesn’t, he’ll know and try something different. If he gets something good out of it, then all the better,” Ana said. “He won’t feel right unless he’s helping someone. But some of us, I think, need to follow a different path.”

“With you?” Angela asked.

Ana shook her head again. “No, you two have to find out what works for you. The more of us that follow different lines and ideas, the better we will do, I think. If we start to clump together, then we risk falling into the same patterns we had before.”

Fareeha glanced away from her mother for a moment before looking back, brows furrowed. “You’re going to stay in touch, right? It’s been hard enough with the few letters we write to each other now.”

“Of course, dearest,” Ana said, standing up and walking around the table to Fareeha. She bent down and kissed her daughter on the forehead. “And you do the same. I can’t be worrying about you again like when you were off in Russia.”

“I was fine, Omm,” Fareeha said, smiling.

“You lost your arm. How is that fine?” Ana said.

“You look at me with both eyes and then we’ll talk about safety,” Fareeha said.

“Hmph. I don’t remember raising you to talk like that to your mother,” Ana said. She smiled and patted Fareeha on the cheek affectionately before turning to Angela. “I imagine it was your influence. She was such a good girl.”

“Oh no, you can’t blame this one on me, Ana. She was like that when I met her,” Angela said, hands raised up to fend off the accusation.

“Well, then she’s clearly a lost cause,” Ana sighed, walking over to Angela. She bent down and kissed the top of Angela’s head. “Take care of her for me, will you?”

Angela blushed pink across her cheeks. “Of course, Ana.”

“Good. You two behave then,” Ana said with a nod. She made her way to the door, glancing back before she opened it. “I’ll get in touch again soon.”

“How?” Fareeha asked.

“Ah, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll surprise you!” Ana said with a grin. She slipped out the door with a quick wave and shut it behind her.

Fareeha and Angela sat for a moment before they both looked at the parcel Ana had left. It was lumpy, wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine. It was tied with too much twine, in fact. Ana hadn’t so much tied it up as bound it. Angela fetched a knife for Fareeha, who cut through the ties and let the paper fall open. Staring up at them was the Shrike mask.

Fareeha ground her teeth. “Of course it was her.”

She picked up the mask and looked at it for a moment before she flung it at the kitchen wall. It struck with a sharp crack as Fareeha turned on her heel and stalked to the front door. She opened it hard enough that it bounced off the wall and thumped shut as she walked out. Angela could hear her shouting, voice growing fainter as she went downstairs. Angela sighed and shook her head, walking over to pick up the mask. It had cracked down the faceplate, through the now dim triangle symbol on the front.

“Oh, Ana,” she said with another sigh. She ran her finger along the crack. “What were you thinking?”

 

Fareeha clenched her fists as she walked up to the guard station at the edge of the Giza compound. Angela had stayed at home to rest. There had been no reason to drag her back out. Fareeha had the Shrike mask wrapped back up and tucked under her arm. Ana had unsurprisingly vanished to avoid answering any questions. The man inside the station slid open the small window to greet her.

“Hello again, Captain Amari,” he said, sounding tired.

“I’m here to see Hadi again,” she said, leaning against the side of the station.

“Hadi?” the man said, blinking a few times. “Did you have an appointment? I thought we called everyone to tell them.”

“I didn’t,” Fareeha said with a frown. “Call to tell them what?”

“He, uh, is indisposed,” the guard said weakly. He screwed up his face and then leaned forward, motioning for her to do the same. “He’s been detained and is under investigation.”

Fareeha’s eyes went wide. “Investigation? For what?”

“I don’t know much, but the rumor is a bunch of files showed up saying he had ties to the Talon cells in the area,” the guard whispered conspiratorially. “And with everything that happened, they didn’t want to take any chances with him. A few others are being investigated too.”

“Shit,” Fareeha hissed.

The guard nodded in agreement. “It’s been a mess. We’ve all been working like crazy to clean up after what happened. Did you see the news? Where they’re blaming us for not dealing with these cells sooner? Most of us had no idea Talon was even in the city!”

Fareeha brushed a hand through her hair. “Has there been any problems with them since the fires?”

“No, not really,” the guard said, shaking his head. “We’ve tracked down a few stragglers, but the rest are either dead or long gone.”

Fareeha chewed on her lip for a few moments. “Who’s doing Hadi’s job now?”

“Naziha Hassan,” the guard said. He must have seen the confused look on Fareeha’s face because he shrugged. “I don’t know either.”

Naziha was not part of the engineering side of the company. She was from the HSI version of internal affairs and known to all as a very severe woman. She was the sort of person that caused panic if it was known she was visiting, since it meant something very wrong had happened. It also meant someone was going to pay for that wrong.

“I need to speak with her,” Fareeha said as firmly as she could.

The guard looked at her like she had suddenly grown antlers. “You’re kidding, yes?”

Fareeha shook her head and the guard sighed heavily. He disappeared from her line of sight to make the call. There was silence before she heard his muffled voice speaking somewhere in the post. Fareeha began to shift from foot to foot before he came back.

“She’ll see you,” he said gravely. “I’m very sorry.”

Fareeha offered a smile and stepped away, waiting for her ride up to the building. It came quickly and she rode up, holding the wrapped mask in her lap and looking down at it. She had spent the afternoon cursing her mother for lying to her, again. For admonishing Fareeha over her attempts to help people, but then gladly coaxing and guilting Fareeha into doing what she wanted. Simply talking to her daughter openly had apparently been too genuine for Ana.

When the cart stopped outside the building, she hopped off and made her way inside. No receptionist met her this time, so she made her way back through the familiar corridors. The door to Hadi’s former office was open, Naziha sitting at the desk and waiting for her. Fareeha stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

“Fareeha Amari,” Naziha said. “Are you here about the little deal you made with Hadi?”

Fareeha blinked, taken aback. “Yes, that’s right,” she said as she sat down. There was no reason to lie to this woman.

“I imagine you’ve heard about Hadi’s predicament?” Naziha asked.

“I have.”

“That means anything he promised, especially unauthorized things like he did with you, are all effectively voided while we deal with this problem,” Naziha said, tapping the tip of a pen against her desk.

“Yes, I guessed as much when they said you were in charge,” Fareeha said with a sigh. “Still, I felt I should come and give you this regardless.”

Fareeha unwrapped the mask and set it on Naziha’s desk. The administrator picked it up, turning it over slowly in her hands and looking closely at it. Seemingly satisfied, she set it back down and clasped her hands together, elbows propped on the desk. She set her chin on her interlaced fingers and stared at Fareeha for a moment.

“Where did you get this? I’ve heard no accounts of the Shrike being killed or captured,” Naziha asked sternly.

“They gave it to me,” Fareeha said nervously. “I helped them last night, against Talon. In return, they gave me the mask because they left the city.”

“I see,” Naziha said, sounding unconvinced. “Well, I should be rather irritated that you had a hand in starting two fires in the city last night--”

“I didn’t! It was Talon covering their tracks,” Fareeha interjected.

“But what came to light from it was valuable,” Naziha continued, ignoring Fareeha’s interruption. “Without it, we may never have found out Hadi and others were trading information. In light of that and the impeccable record you left on, I think we can help you with your prosthetic.”

“You can? That would be fantastic!” Fareeha said, leaning forward in her seat as worry began to fall from her shoulders.

“Hadi’s notes also mention you have your very own suit of Raptora armor, made by a certain Torbjörn Lindholm,” Naziha said, narrowing her eyes slightly. “But that you’re having trouble with it.”

“Yes, because of my arm. It changed the way it handles and moves when it flies, but we couldn’t fix it in the field,” Fareeha explained.

“Perhaps we can help, but in exchange we want to examine the entire suit thoroughly. If there is anything we can use to upgrade our own suits, then we’ll be taking careful notes,” Naziha said.

“Of course, yes, that’s fine,” Fareeha said quickly, standing up and offering her hand to Naziha.

Naziha took the offered hand and shook it firmly. “Your old quarters are still open. It may be easier if you and Doctor Ziegler move into the compound. Also, safer if you actually did have a hand in the incident last night.”

“Thank you, Naziha. I’ll go get her now and we’ll move our things here,” Fareeha said, nearly breathless with relief.

“Good. We’ll speak later,” Naziha said, looking back down at the papers spread out before her.

Fareeha could have laughed. She nearly did as she turned to leave as the anxiety and uncertainty left her. Mixed with her exhaustion, her head was nearly swimming. She made her way outside, out of the compound, and back to the hotel. As the cab drove through the city, she could still see smoke leaking up in wispy tendrils from the Talon hideout.

Nothing had gone like she wanted. Nothing had come as easily as she hoped. Seeing that smoke brought back some of her nervousness. She hadn’t expected at all to encounter Talon here. That they would want into the Temple of Anubis wasn’t so surprising, but the fact that they had nearly managed made her stomach clench. Her mother was right about one thing. While Talon was still operating nearly unopposed, how could they make the world safer for anyone?

This was the sort of thing she had always thought she would be doing. She had always wanted to join Overwatch, to stop people like the ones in Talon. She had joined HSI to protect people in a different way, to safeguard the Anubis AI, but Talon had nearly managed their way into it anyway. She wondered if this was what she was meant to do instead. Thinking about it made her feel slightly ill. She had no idea what would come next and she realized that she didn’t like that feeling. In fact, it scared her.


	6. Epilogue

Ana Amari sat on the edge of the roof and watched the street. Fareeha was exiting a cab and returning to her apartment. She didn’t look up. People rarely did, which was fine by Ana. She could watch and stay unseen all day like this. She sighed softly to herself. She would miss this, miss being able to see her daughter whenever she wanted. Though they had communicated mostly through letters, Ana had spent more time watching Fareeha and checking up on her than she would ever realize.

Footsteps sounded across the roof behind her, but Ana didn’t look up. A man grunted as he sat down next to her. His hair was white and short, forehead wrinkled with age. His eyes and mouth were hidden behind a mask. As always, he wore the ridiculously unsubtle red, white, and blue jacket with a numeric seventy-six across the back.

“Now what?” he asked her.

“I think you know the answer already, Jack,” she said.

He huffed out a frustrated breath. “Gabriel.”

“And Lacroix,” she added.

“Do we know where to start?” Jack asked her.

“I think we can make a few guesses.”

“What about them?” he asked, motioning at the apartment building across from them.

“They’re adults. They’ll decide what to do on their own,” she said, sounding tired. “I explained as much as I could. I think they’ll do the right thing.”

“You don’t sound very happy about it.”

“Of course not. How happy could I be coaxing my daughter off to fight terrorists?” she snapped at him, turning to look at him finally. “All I ever wanted was for her to be safe, but here I am sending her off to war.”

“Then why do it?” he asked.

“Fareeha is too much like me. She will always be drawn to the fight, to helping people,” Ana said, looking back over at the apartment. “But if she is fighting, I want her to know the stakes. To know what is at risk.”

Jack reached over, resting a hand on her arm. “It’s a difficult thing to do, I know. But I know your heart was in the right place with it.”

“She will hate me for it, Jack,” Ana said softly, her voice thick. She looked down at the ground as she wiped a hand across her eyes.

“She’ll understand,” Jack reassured, moving his hand so he could pull her into a one armed hug. “It may take time, but she’ll understand.”

Ana sighed heavily, leaning her head against his shoulder. “Perhaps you’re right. That doesn’t make it feel any better.”

“She’ll be fine. And Ziegler will take care of her,” he said, giving her a squeeze.

She smiled weakly before pushing herself up. “We shouldn’t linger. Too much to do.”

“You still haven’t said where we’re going,” he reminded her, standing up with her.

“And ruin my surprise?” she asked with a tired mischievousness.

“Yes. I don’t like surprises.”

Ana sighed as she turned to walk across the roof. “Fine, Jack. We’re going to Eichenwald.”

“Eichenwald?” he asked, confused. He winced as it dawned on him. “No, Ana, no. Not Eichenwald. Not Reinhardt.”

Ana didn’t respond and disappeared down the stairwell from the roof. Jack slumped his shoulders and trudged after her, hanging his head. Of course it had to be Reinhardt. Jack could smell the currywurst already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last little extra bit for this story.
> 
> I hope folks liked this one! I enjoyed trying to build up the world, expand on relationships, and add some depth. There's more Pharmercy on the horizon (and more Ana, if you enjoyed her!) for those who didn't get their fill.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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